Berlin Coffee Walk: Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

A shortlist of independent coffee roasters and coffee shops in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg area of East Berlin. Notes are by an amateur coffee enthusiast and digital nomad. I choose places for coffee first, and remote work suitability second.

Me with a laptop-free Sunday — Photo by Athena Lam

How to read this coffee list:

These are independent cafes I’ve visited or mapped during my remote work week in Berlin. The ones I have visited have links to my review. Below, you will find a photo of the cafe space, a brief profile of what they offer, and the address that links to the above coffee map.

You can preo-load this map onto your phone and it works offline as long as you don’t reset Googe Maps or restart your phone. The total route time is about 2 hours of walking at a leisurely pace (not including stops at cafes). Friedrichshain used to be a part of East Berlin while Kreuzberg on the south side of the river was part of West Berlin. Both have a a slightly rougher and hipster edge compared to the areas West of Alexanderplatz.

Note that in Berlin, many independent cafes have designated spots for people with laptops. Most may have one or two outlets, but those may not be close to tables. Also, I had data on my phone, so I only occasionally checked for Wi-Fi. It seems that Berlin has free Wi-Fi in many places (i.e. U-Bahn stations), but cafes may not necessarily have them.

My additional recommendations:

Explore the neighbourhood around Silo Coffee, which has many local restaurants (with vegan and vegetarian options).

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment! Happy exploring!

Silo Coffee

Silo Coffee had one of the most interesting espresso profiles I’ve ever had — Photo by Athena Lam

Silo Coffee was the first and last cafe I went to in Berlin. I only picked up a croissant (which was decent, but not spectacular) as I was in a rush, but I heard that the food at Silo is as good as the coffee. I wish I could come back to try their single origin too, but their espresso blew me away as one of the most interesting profiles I’ve tasted (they managed to mix fruity and nutty). It’s a great space to remote work and has individual tables and a larger group table at the back of the cafe. The neighbourhood also has many decent restaurants, so you could spend a whole day here.

Happy Baristas

Happy Baristas has beans from several different roasters — Photo by Athena Lam

I walked to Happy Baristas early on Sunday morning before the crowds came at around 10am. The coffee is quite good, but the food left an even bigger impression. The menu has vegetarian and vegan options and the baked berry oatmeal I had was to die for.

Like many cafes in Berlin, remote work people are requested to stick to a certain area.

Coffee Profilers

As the name suggests, Coffee Profilers serves a rotating selection of beans. When I went, they had Ninety Plus’ Geisha(!!) which instantly won some points. Next, the Greek barista (who’s name I’ve sadly forgotten) was most accommodating in making a Cortado for me. Check out the rest of my photos to see how spacious the cafe is. 🙂

Five Elephant Kreuzberg

The back tables are for remote work (people with laptops). — Photo by Athena Lam

Five Elephant used to roast their beans out of this original shop, but they’ve since had to expand to a roasting facility around the block. The space is a cozy one and has a simple selection of pastries. The staff are also friendly and happy to share their latest experimental roasts. On a nice day, the outside seating is probably more desireable. Remote workers note that your seating area is in the back!

19 Grams

19 Grams is one of those charming hole-in-the walls — Photo by Athena Lam

Unfortunately, 19 Grams is a bit small for remote working, but the good news is that the cafe makes a good quiet working space. The cafe doesn’t have Wi-Fi, but I got a signal from a public one (not for streaming). It’s a great place to pop by if you’re already around the area.